Content
Pitsunda pine is most often found on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea and the Caucasus. The tall tree belongs to the Pine genus from the Pine family. The Pitsunda pine belongs to a variety of Turkish or Calirian pine, without distinguishing it as a separate species. Pitsunda is an Abkhaz city located in the north-west of the Black Sea coast, it is from this settlement that the name of the pine comes from. The Pitsunda pine belongs to an endangered species, therefore it is listed in the Red Book of Russia.
Description of pitsunda pine
The height of an adult tree ranges from 18 to 24 m. The trunk is straight, covered with grayish-brown bark, dotted with cracks. The color of the branches differs from the trunk in redness or yellowness.
The shape of the crown of a young tree is conical, wide; in older specimens, it becomes spreading, acquiring a rounded shape. The branches are not densely spaced.
The needles are thin, pointed, roughness along the edge is noted when palpating. The color of the needles is dark green. The length of the needles reaches 12 cm, and the width is insignificant - no more than 1 mm.
Male inflorescences form bundles of a reddish-yellow hue.
Most often, cones are located singly, but can be collected in 2-4 pieces. They are mounted on a short stem, but they can also be seated. The shape of the cones is ovate-conical, length from 6 to 10 cm, diameter from 3 to 5 cm. Color - brown-red.
In the cones, seeds of a dark, almost black color ripen. The wing of the seed is 3-4 times longer than the seed itself.
Growing area
The largest number of specimens of Pitsunda pine grows in Abkhazia. On the territory of the Republic, there is the Pitsundo-Myussera Nature Reserve, which houses the largest pine grove on earth, stretching over an area of 4 thousand hectares.
In Russia, pine forests occupy no more than 1.1 thousand hectares. Most of them (950 hectares) are located between Divnomorsk and Praskoveevskaya crack.
The Pitsunda pine can be found on the rocky coastal slopes. The tree is undemanding to soil and soil moisture. Today, man-made artificial plantations of pine trees exceed natural ones.
The benefits of pitsunda pine
The Pitsunda pine is planted as landscapers in a landscape gardening design. Its wood is used in shipbuilding for cladding ships, in the woodworking industry to create various products.
A lot of resin and turpentine are obtained from coniferous trees. Cones harvested at the stage of milk ripeness are suitable for making jams according to various recipes.
How to grow pitsunda pine from seeds
Growing pine from seeds is a laborious and not always successful business, but if you follow all the rules, you can cope with this task.
The seeds can be harvested from the pine forest or purchased at the store. Seeds are harvested in autumn or early spring, for this they use unopened cones. To get the seeds, the cones are dried for several days near the heating radiators. After opening the cones, the seed is removed from them.
Before planting, the seeds are soaked in water, it should be renewed daily.
This will help disinfect the planting material and protect the seedling from fungal diseases.
Planting containers should have holes so that the root system of the seedling does not rot when water accumulates at the bottom. The soil can be purchased at a specialty store or prepared by yourself by mixing loose soil from a coniferous forest with peat.
The seeds are deepened 3 cm into the ground, the distance between them should be 10-15 cm. The container with the seeds is watered and covered with foil. Placed in a sunny and warm place. Water regularly, preventing the soil from drying out.
After the shoots appear, the film is removed. To protect the emerging sprouts from diseases, it is recommended to water the ground with a pale pink manganese solution. This measure will prevent the development of fungal diseases, but at the same time it will slow down the growth of pine.
To accelerate the growth of seedlings, you can use fertilizers that are purchased in specialized stores. After about 6 months, the trunk will become woody. In the spring, you can transplant seedlings into open ground. A bed with young pines must be loosened, removed weeds, mulch with chopped straw or sawdust. After the height of the tree reaches 0.5 m, it is transplanted to a permanent place. This is best done in the spring, digging out the pine tree carefully with an earthy clod so as not to damage the roots.
Planting and caring for pitsunda pine
Pitsunda pine belongs to hardy specimens of conifers. Arid regions with hot climates are suitable for its cultivation. Pine perfectly tolerates air pollution and is its natural purifier, so trees can be planted even along busy highways.
Seedling and planting plot preparation
It is best to purchase a seedling with a closed root system for planting. The Pitsunda pine very poorly tolerates drying out of the roots and may not take root if the seedling is dug out without an earthen coma.
Pine of this species belongs to light and heat-loving trees, therefore, in regions with difficult weather conditions, it should not be planted - it will freeze in the first winter.
A place for planting pine trees is chosen well-lit, without shading. It should be noted that pine grows up to 24 m, so sheds, electric wires, etc. should not interfere with it. The soil should be light, not clayey, but sandy or sandy loam.
Landing rules
A drainage layer is poured into the planting pit. Broken bricks, pebbles, stones and sand can be used. The land can be taken from a pine forest or prepared by yourself by mixing peat and turf soil. Pit size: depth not less than 70 cm, diameter 60 cm.
When transplanting a seedling, it is necessary to ensure that the root collar does not turn out to be covered with earth, it should be left at a slight elevation from the surface.
The earth is compacted, well watered and mulched. This will prevent the soil from drying out and help eliminate weeds.
Watering and feeding
Young seedlings of Pitsunda pine need regular watering. It helps them settle down. Mature trees can do without additional moisture, they have enough rainfall in the region. If the summer is dry, you can arrange additional watering (no more than 3-4 times per season) or sprinkle. Coniferous trees are watered after sunset so as not to burn the crown under the scorching rays of the sun.
Seedlings grown from seeds at home need feeding for the first 2-3 years. Mature trees do not require fertilization.
Pine trees are fed in spring. This allows you to increase the annual growth of shoots and improves the condition of the needles, gives a bright color to the needles.
For fertilization, special multicomponent formulations are used, which include 10-15 microelements. Must be present: potassium, magnesium, phosphorus. The introduction of nitrogen compounds, manure and weed infusions is not recommended.These dressings can lead to too strong growth, such shoots do not have time to adapt and prepare for winter, therefore they freeze out.
Mulching and loosening
Loosening of the trunk circle is carried out carefully so as not to damage the roots of young seedlings. This procedure improves air exchange and promotes early rooting.
Mulching consists in covering the near-trunk circle with sawdust, chopped needles or tree bark, and straw. The mulch layer is increased for the winter, and replaced with a new one in the spring.
Mulching also inhibits the growth of weeds and prevents the soil from cracking.
Pruning
Pitsunda pine does not need crown formation. Sanitary pruning is carried out in the spring and fall, removing damaged or yellowed shoots.
Preparing for winter
Young pines in winter can freeze, so in the fall it is necessary to carry out preparatory measures. In October-November, water-charging irrigation is carried out, the soil is covered with a thick layer of mulching material.
To prevent pitsunda pine shoots from freezing, they are covered with insulating material. Pitsunda pines are thermophilic trees, therefore they are grown in the appropriate climatic zone. In cold climates, this pine tree does not take root.
Reproduction
Pitsunda pine under natural conditions propagates with the help of seeds. You can grow a seedling from seed material on your own, but to facilitate the task, it is recommended to purchase ready-made trees grown in special nurseries.
Diseases and pests
Trees can get sick due to the appearance of pests on them, violation of growing conditions, due to the spread of infectious diseases.
Falling needles on Pitsunda pine can be triggered by the appearance of scale insects. For treatment, use Akarin (30 g), diluted in 10 liters of water. Spraying of the crown is carried out in May-June.
To combat the sawfly, biological products are used. The crown is sprayed with Lepidocide, Bitoxibacillin, it can be treated with the chemicals Confidor, Actellik.
Conclusion
Pitsunda pine is an unpretentious tree suitable for growing in regions with a warm climate. A coniferous seedling can be used for landscaping the area. The tree belongs to tall specimens, which must be taken into account when planting.
